Tag Archives: Mountain Lion

Alberta 02/02/15 globalnews.ca: by Caley Ramsey and Emily Mertz – He received 30 stitches, gashes to his face and neck and part of his ear was amputated, but Stephen Campbell still considers himself lucky. On Friday afternoon, the 31-year-old pipeline worker was attacked by a cougar about 90 kilometres south of Grande Prairie. He and some co-workers were clearing the area for pipes to be welded. “I felt a weight on my back and I thought, initially, one of the boys was coming around to horse around,” Campbell recalled on Monday. “Then I felt the cougar bite into my skull and sink its claws into the sides of my face.” Three of his co-workers came to his aid and tried to fight off the cougar. “They were beating on it with skid hooks and their bare fists… They said it just looked at them like ‘I don’t care, get away from me’ and it kept attacking me.” Campbell said he was able to throw the 80-pound cougar to the ground and they all ran into their truck. The cougar, he said, waited under their trailer. Another colleague was jumped on by the cougar when he left the truck. He sustained non life-threatening injuries to his shoulder.

A medic arrived to treat Campbell and then an ambulance came and took him to the Grande Prairie Hospital. RCMP were called to shoot the cougar. Dan Laville with Alberta Fish and Wildlife said officers are using DNA analysis to confirm that the cougar that was shot is the same animal that attacked the worker. Campbell said the animal didn’t move from under the trailer and was there when officers arrived. Alberta Fish and Wildlife is investigating the incident. Campbell will need re-constructive surgery on his ear. He said it’s too soon to say if he’ll return to work. – For complete article and videos see http://globalnews.ca/news/1805042/pipeline-worker-attacked-by-cougar-near-grande-prairie/

RABIES:

Virginia 02/02/15 James City County: A dog that bit several people on February 1st in the vicinity of Selby Lane off Government Road is missing and, if the dog isn’t found, those who were bitten will have to be treated for potential exposure to the rabies virus. The dog is described by the Peninsula Health District as a black pit or lab mix. Anyone who has seen an animal that fits the description in James City County is asked to call the Peninsula Health District Williamsburg Area Environmental Health Office at 757-603-4277. Citizens are asked to call James City County Animal Control after hours at 757-253-1800 if they have information regarding the dog. – See http://wydaily.com/2015/02/02/health-officials-looking-for-dog-who-bit-people-in-james-city-county?cat=localnews/

Wyoming 01/11/15 outdoorhub.com: Even mountain lions will usually maintain a healthy distance from porcupines, but not always. They do occasionally prey on them, if they’re hungry enough. Recently, researchers with Panthera’s Teton Cougar Project found a dead mountain lion near Jackson Hole. During a necropsy, they discovered that the cat’s internal organs had been punctured by a porcupine’s quills and the resulting injuries were the cause of its death, though it was determined that the cat lingered for five weeks before it died. – For complete article see http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015/01/11/mountain-lion-eats-porcupine-killed-quills-inside/

COYOTE:

Massachusetts 01/06/15 wcvb.com: Police have issued a warning in Groveland after a coyote attacked local residents, including a father who was walking with his 4-year-old daughter, on Monday. Jon McPherson had just arrived home and was walking up a sidewalk with his daughter when the coyote latched onto his leg and wouldn’t let go. “At first I thought, ‘Oh my God. I just got bit by a dog,'” he said. “I turned around and it was a big coyote. Probably waist-high. I was like, ‘Get out of here!'” McPherson said shouting at the animal didn’t work. “He wasn’t afraid of me in the slightest,” McPherson said. That’s when he hit the animal with a bag full of groceries. “I clocked him with the bag, he kind of shook his head a little bit and moved into the side yard,” McPherson said. After ripping apart the bag, the coyote took off for the woods behind Manor Drive, but minutes later it emerged on nearby Gardner Street. A man on that street said the coyote didn’t seem to have any fear. “The behavior of the coyote in these incidents is very unusual,” Groveland police Sgt. Dwight McDonald said. “Coyotes usually run from humans.” The coyote should be considered rabid and dangerous, police said. Any contact with the animal will require medical attention. – See video at http://www.wcvb.com/news/groveland-police-issue-warning-for-aggressive-coyote/30557304

WOLF:

OR-7

Oregon 01/08/15 statesmanjournal.com: by Jeff Barnard – Oregon’s famous wandering wolf, OR-7, is now officially the leader of his own pack. State and federal wildlife agencies said Wednesday they have designated OR-7, his mate and their pups the Rogue Pack, for their location in the Rogue River drainage in the Cascades east of Medford. It’s the first pack in western Oregon and the ninth in the state since wolves from Idaho started swimming the Snake River in the 1990s. As a youngster, OR-7 left his pack in northeastern Oregon in September 2011 in search of a mate. He traveled thousands of miles across Oregon and back and forth into Northern California before finding a mate last winter in the southern Cascades on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The GPS collar that tracked his travels is still working, but biologists hope to replace it this spring. Efforts to trap OR-7, his mate or one of the pups to put a tracking collar on them were not successful last fall, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist John Stephenson. They hope to have better luck this May, when the pack dens up for more pups. Even if the GPS tracking collar fails, a separate unit on the collar that emits a radio signal that can be tracked by a directional antenna should continue working, Stephenson said . . . OR-7 has continued to stay out of trouble as far as livestock are concerned. – For more photos see http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2015/01/08/oregons-wandering-wolf-or-7-gets-official-pack-status/21433743/

RABIES:

Georgia 01/12/15 Hall County: A Rabies Alert has been issued after two people came in contact with a cat that has since tested positive for the virus. Thecat was found in the vicinity of 5th Street in the eastern part of the county. – See http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/107156/

Wisconsin 01/09/15 Dane County: Police are seeking a dogthat bit a woman outside a Madison mall this week. Public Health of Madison and Dane County is looking for information on a dog that bit a woman Tuesday at about 12:30 p.m. According to a release, the woman was outside the food court entrance at East Towne Mall petting a dog that was sitting inside a pickup truck. Public Health said the owner of the short-haired Dalmatian-type dog was present but left before the victim was aware of the rabies risk involved when a strange dog bites a person. The dog was described as a white and black spotted and was sitting in a dark blue mid-90s-year Ford F250 with a topper. The owner was a white man possibly in his mid-60s with gray hair. The dog was possibly named Smoky, according to the report. Anyone with information regarding the dog bite is asked to call 255-2345 and ask for the animal services officer. Public Health said If the animal is not located, the woman may be required to complete a series of painful, costly injections to prevent rabies. – See http://madisoneast.channel3000.com/news/health/464412-police-seek-dog-bit-woman-outside-mall

California 12/31/14 mercurynews.com: by Natalie Neysa Alund – An apparently sick coyote that bit a man and a 5-year-old boy in the city of Fremont’s Mission San Jose neighborhood and was later fatally shot by police has tested negative for rabies, police announced Tuesday. The animal’s necropsy took place Monday and test results from a state lab were released early Tuesday, police spokesman Geneva Bosques said. Police shot and killed the coyote on Dec. 25 after it bit a 42-year-old man and the 5-year-old boy on separate streets about a mile apart that day. The coyote, who appeared injured, was initially spotted about 5:40 p.m. in the 3100 block of Starr Street, just several blocks from Highway 680, where he bit the man on his leg. An hour later, a man jogging on Montevideo Circle was chased by the coyote, although he was able to kick off the animal and escape uninjured. As officers were searching for the animal, dispatch received a call from a local hospital reporting that a 5-year-old boy had been bitten by a coyote while walking on Via Oporto. The animal was eventually found wandering on Nido Court and fatally shot in order to prevent further attacks. The coyote was taken to Tri-City Animal Shelter, where it was tested for rabies. None of the people bitten suffered life-threatening injuries. Bosques, who said the attack appears to be random, said the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife will continue to try and determine why it attacked. – See http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_27229429/coyote-who-bit-two-people-fremont-tests-negative

CHIKUNGUNYA FEVER:

Puerto Rico 12/31/14 foxnews.com: Puerto Rico has logged more than 4,000 confirmed cases of infection with the Chikungunya virus this year, the Health Department said Wednesday. Lab tests confirmed 118 new cases during the Nov. 12-Dec. 9 period, chief epidemiologist Brenda Rivera Garcia said, which brought the total to 4,185, pending data for the rest of December. “Most of the cases confirmed in this report are in the western area of the island,” she said in a statement. “It is important that residents in this region’s municipalities take steps to protect themselves and to eradicate mosquito breeding sites both around houses and work areas.” Chikungunya, like dengue fever, is spread by the Aedes aegyptimosquito . . . The Chikungunya virus is responsible for five deaths on the island this year, according to the Puerto Rico Health Department. – See http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2014/12/31/puerto-rico-reports-more-than-4000-chikungunya-cases/

PLAGUE:

National 12/29/14 healio.com: According to researchers at the CDC, human cases of plague continue to occur consistently in the United States, particularly in the rural Southwest. During a 113-year study period, from 1900 to 2012, 1,006 cases of human plague were reported in the US. Of 913 cases for which information on the clinical form of the disease was available, 82% were bubonic, 8% pneumonic, 10% septicemic, 1% pharyngeal and less than 1% gastrointestinal. Of 305 cases for whom exposure information was available, 106 individuals had been bitten by a flea, 91 recently had handled an animal, 64 had butchered or skinned an animal, and 21 had sustained a bite or scratch or were exposed to the cough of an animal. According to the researchers, the most significant current risk factor for plague is direct or indirect human contact with rodentsand theirfleas. – See http://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/zoonotic-infections/news/online/%7Ba3f39c57-b943-4bb8-90d4-3137144f79ea%7D/plague-continues-to-pose-threat-in-us-particularly-in-southwest

MOUNTAIN LIONS:

Northeastern U.S. 01/02/15 centralmaine.com: A Vermont animal tracker known nationally for her expertise in tracking cougars believes the big cats will eventually return to the Northeastern United States and neighboring parts of Canada, but she says the region won’t see large numbers of them anytime soon. The forests of Maine, NewHampshire, Vermont and upstate New York have ideal cougar habitat, meaning plentiful forest cover and large animals to sustain a cougar population, said Sue Morse of Jericho, the science director and founder of the organization Keeping Track. “Back in the ’80s, I just looked at that huge expanse of country between the Rockies, the western slope of the Rockies and here, and I thought to myself ‘how can this happen?’” said Morse. Since then, scientists have tracked the animals moving out of South Dakota into Midwestern states. Cougars also are moving north into Manitoba, the Canadian province to the west of Ontario, which Morse considers their most likely route back to the Northeast. “We need our apex carnivores in a big way,” Morse said. “We need them for the health of our forests. Our forests are being ravaged by too many deer in some places.” The animals are known by a variety of names: mountain lion, puma, panther, catamount. Vermont’s last known cougar was killed in 1881 in Barnard. – For complete article see http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/01/01/cougar-expert-cats-could-return-to-new-england/

Kansas 12/18/14 kshb.com: by Shannon Halligan – A new, never before seen virus has been discovered in Kansas. The CDC is now investigating after the tick-borne illness, dubbed “Bourbon Virus,” was linked to the death of a Kansas man. Up until recently, the man’s death remained a mystery. Now, doctors at the University of Kansas Hospital think this discovery may help others . . . This summer a patient came into the University of Kansas hospital with symptoms similar to most tick-borne illnesses, but after testing the man, doctors were stumped. “It was very frustrating. That’s one of the biggest problems with my job, which I love, when we can’t answer those questions, when we can’t help the patients or their families,” Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an Infectious Disease Physician at the hospital said, People with diseases spread by ticks see symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, and nausea. Dr. Hawkinson explained the Kansas man didn’t respond to typical treatments. He eventually experienced multi-organ failure. Now, six months after his death, the CDC determined the man had “Bourbon Virus.” It’s named after Bourbon County, Kan., where the man lived. – For complete article and video see http://www.kshb.com/news/health/new-tick-borne-virus-discovered-after-the-death-of-kansas-man

CHIKUNGUNYA:

National 12/17/14 outbreaknewstoday.com: by Robert Herriman – After seeing an average of 28 imported chikungunya cases a year in the United States during the past eight years, primarily from travel to Asia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the number of such cases to over 2,000 as of Dec. 16. Beginning in 2014, cases were identified in travelers returning from the Caribbean. As of December 16, a total of 2,021 chikungunya virus disease cases have been reported to ArboNET from U.S. states. Eleven locally-transmitted cases have been reported from Florida. New York has seen the most travel associated chikungunya with 533 case, or 27 percent of the national total. This is followed by Florida with 384, New Jersey with 160 and Massachusetts with 124 cases. Only Alaska, Wyoming , North Dakota and Montana have not reported a single case. Last week, we saw the number of local transmission cases in the Western Hemisphere eclipse the 1 million case mark, one year after the first cases were reported in the Caribbean. – See http://outbreaknewstoday.com/travel-associated-chikungunya-in-the-us-tops-2000-cases-2000/

MOUNTAIN LION:

Kentucky 12/18/14 therepublic.com: An examination of a mountain lion killed by a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife official has found that it was a 125-pound male that appeared to be young and healthy. But Fish and Wildlife officials still don’t know whether it was a wild animal or one that escaped from captivity. “It seemed to be in very healthy condition, and they determined pretty quickly that it didn’t look like it had traveled long distances on foot,” agency spokesman Mark Marraccini said. An agency officer shot and killed the mountain lion after a concerned caller spotted it in northern Bourbon County. Marraccini says the lion was killed because it was roaming free near a populated area, making it a public safety issue. He said if the mountain lion was a wild animal, it apparently would be the first one confirmed in Kentucky since before the Civil War. “But that is a pretty big ‘if,'” he said. “They took some measurements today, but that’s certainly not enough to go on without looking at everything in total.” The animal’s DNA will be sent to an out-of-state wildlife lab to determine whether its genetic material matches any wild populations. “They can determine the origin,” Marraccini said, though it won’t be fast. He said it could take weeks to get an answer. Mountain lions, which also are known as cougars and panthers, are the largest cats found in North America. – See http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c392ae52a7bc4a238b5ac4bb4ec6366e/KY–Mountain-Lion-Killed

Colorado 09/17/14 steamboattoday.com: by Matt Stensland – A group of SteamboatSprings hikers has reported a scary, up-close encounter with a mountain lion that had them defending themselves with sticks. Robert Bowes was hiking with friends Jakub and Alyssa Dybala on Sunday afternoon on a trail off of Routt County Road 36 near the Strawberry Park Hot Springs. The trail runs near the Lower Bear Trail and gave them a direct route to Rocky Peak. As the group got close to the tree line, a mountain lion ran behind Bowes and Alyssa Dybala in front of Jakub Dybala. “We both turned around, and he’s pitch white,” Bowes said. “It threaded the needle between us. The dogs didn’t even see it because they were up front.” That was enough of a scare, but then the mountain lion returned and Jakub Dybala spotted it about 20 feet away. Bowes pulled out a small knife, and this time, the dogs went after the lion. He thought they were goners. “They were face to face with the mountain lion,” Bowes said. “It was showing its fangs and swatting at the dogs.” Bowes said the lion was large, with a tail the size of his arm span. With the cat hissing just feet away, Bowes said they were backed into a boulder, which they climbed onto. “The mountain lion jumps up onto the boulder with us all,” Bowes said. “He swiped at me, and I could feel the wind from his paws going past my leg.” After a good whack in the head with a small stick, the lion jumped off the boulder and scurried into the brush.

“It was the most scary thing I’ve ever encountered,” Bowes said. He said the dogs returned, and they sprinted into a field making noise as they retreated, not knowing if they were being preyed upon. “That was the scariest part,” Bowes said. They made it back to their car without seeing the lion again. Local wildlife officer Justin Pollock learned about the incident, and he said it made him very concerned. He went to the Rocky Peak area to see if he could find any signs of the animal. He was unsuccessful and said the mountain lion’s aggressive behavior toward humans was unusual. “I can understand if it’s cornered and can’t get out,” Pollock said. “They’re going to avoid any confrontation.” Pollock said it was possible the mountain lion had kittens in a nearby den that it was trying to protect. – For complete article see http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2014/sep/17/steamboat-springs-hikers-use-sticks-defend-selves-/

Connecticut 09/18/14 therepublic.com: The (CT) Department of Public Health has confirmed that a Stamford resident contracted (WNV) and has been treated and released from the hospital. The unidentified resident is the second person in Connecticut this season to test positive for the mosquito-borne virus. Anne Fountain, the city’s director of public health and social services, said the patient was a 39-year-old man. – See http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/bd410794da83414da37d88da52d2591d/CT–West-Nile-Virus

Louisiana 09/19/14 LA Dept of Health & Hospitals: Media Release – Officials have confirmed 11 new cases of WNV, of which seven were neuroinvasive disease infections, bringing this year’s total to 103 reported infections. Included in the 11 new cases was one death in DHH Region 3, which includes St. Mary, St. James, St. John, St. Charles, Assumption, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. – See http://dhh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3117

Texas 09/18/14 dallasnews.com: by Sherry Jacobson – Dallas County Health and Human Services confirmed the 8th human infection Thursday by the (WNV) for the 2014 season. The resident, who lives in the 75243 zip codein Dallas, was diagnosed with West Nile neuroinvasive Disease. For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, DCHHS does not provide additional identifying information. . . . The latest West Nile infection was the second human case for 75243, which also has had three positive mosquito pools. – For complete article see http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/09/dallas-county-confirms-8th-human-case-of-west-nile-virus.html/

RABIES:

North Carolina 09/19/14 Craven County: A black and white pit bull type puppy about 10 weeks old found by a trash dumpster between the former Carolina Grill restaurant and the U.S. Post Office on Highway 70 in Havelock has tested positive for rabies. Anyone exposed to this puppy in any way from August 29 thru Sept 18 should seek medical advice immediately. – See http://www.havenews.com/news/local-news/rabies-case-confirmed-in-havelock-1.375539

Wyoming 09/15/14 go.com: by Bob Moen – A 31-year-old Utah man doing research alone in a remote backcountry area has died in a bear attack in the Bridger-TetonNational Forest in northwest Wyoming. Officials aren’t certain yet what type of bear killed Adam Thomas Stewart of Virgin, Utah. “I’m assuming grizzly, but we don’t have the bear so I can’t say for certain,” Fremont County Coroner Ed McAuslan said Monday. “At this particular time we’re still putting stuff together.” Fremont County Undersheriff Ryan Lee said Stewart was in a remote area checking on a research plot when he failed to return as expected on Sept. 5. He was reported missing on Sept. 7, prompting a search. His body was found last Friday between his campsite and the research plot, Lee said.

Stewart last contacted his employer on Sept. 4 from a trailhead, he said. Lee didn’t have the name of the company Stewart worked for. “It was a very short trip. It was basically an in and out type thing with at least one overnight stay,” Lee said. Stewart’s camp was found intact about 3 miles from where his body was found, he said. Lee and McAuslan declined to release what details led them to believe it was a bear attack. Jason Hunter, a regional supervisor with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said investigators saw signs of both grizzly and black bears in the area where Stewart’s body was found. – For complete article see http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/bear-attack-wyoming-kills-utah-man-25517661

New Mexico 09/17/14 NM Dept of Health: Media Release – A 50-year-old man from San Juan County is hospitalized with laboratory confirmed Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). This is the fourth case of Hantavirus in New Mexico this year. An environmental investigation will be conducted at the home of the patient to help reduce the risk to others. “This case is another reminder that Hantavirus is present in deer mice in New Mexico,” said Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Retta Ward, MPH. “I want all New Mexicans to make sure they follow our prevention guidelines to keep themselves and their families safe from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.” – See http://nmhealth.org/news/disease/2014/9/?view=136

Vermont 09/16/14 VT Dept of Health: Media Release – An out-of-state resident who was cleaning a poorly ventilated seasonal home last month contracted hantavirus. It’s most likely that the victim was exposed to rodent droppings that often carry the virus, which can become airborne during the cleaning process and cause a life-threatening respiratory illness. About one-third of those who contract hantavirus do not survive. – See http://healthvermont.gov/news/2014/091614_hantavirus.aspx

Colorado 09/18/14 Boulder County Dept of Health: Media Release – A Louisville resident has tested positive for tularemia after exposure to a dead rabbit while walking with her dog near Coyote Run Open Space in Louisville. The resident had a small cut on her knee, where the tularemia bacteria are thought to have entered her body. The resident was seen by multiple doctors after experiencing swollen lymph nodes, abdominal pain, and pain in the front of her knee. She developed a high fever, headache, and general malaise and was admitted to the hospital. Her condition has greatly improved, and she is recovering at home. This is the second Boulder County resident to test positive for the tularemia this year; nine people have tested positive for the disease in Colorado. In most of the cases, people were exposed to the disease while participating in outdoor activities, such as mowing or recreating in areas where sick or dead wildlife were present. – See http://www.bouldercounty.org/apps/newsroom/templates/bc12.aspx?articleid=4212&zoneid=5

Travel Warning:

Caribbean Basin 09/15/14 foxnews.com: At least 113 people have died in the Americas, with all the fatalities reported in the Caribbean region, after becoming infected with the Chikungunya virus, the Pan American Health Organization, or PAHO, said, adding that it was not yet clear if these deaths were directly attributable to the virus. In its latest report, which includes figures as of Sept. 12, the PAHO confirmed 55 deaths linked to the virus in Martinique since last December, when the disease was first detected in the Americas. Forty-nine deaths were reported in Guadeloupe, six in the DominicanRepublic and three in St. Martin, where the virus was first found in the Americas. . . . . . A total of 644,686 suspected and 9,640 confirmed Chikungunya cases have been reported in the region as of Sept. 8, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, or CARPHA, said. – See http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2014/09/15/death-toll-from-chikungunya-hits-113-in-caribbean-paho-says/

Connecticut 09/17/14 New Haven County: by David Moran – Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a man who dropped a bat off at a local veterinarian that tested positive for rabies because they fear he may have been exposed to the virus himself. An unidentified man left a box containing a live bat at the Mount Carmel Veterinary Hospital on Whitney Avenue in Hamden on Sept. 16 and then left without giving his name. The veterinarian chose to euthanize the bat and sent it to the Connecticut Department of Public Health where it tested positive for rabies. Hamden police said it is “strongly recommended” that the man who delivered the live bat to the animal hospital immediately seek medical attention to determine if he may have contacted rabies from the animal. Police describe the man as a black male between the ages of 18 and 25, standing approximately 5’10,” with a medium build and a “Mohawk-style” haircut. Anyone with information on this individual is asked to call Hamden Animal control at 203-230-4080. – See http://www.courant.com/community/hamden/hc-hamden-rabies-outbreak-0918-20140917-story.html

Texas 09/17/14 Brazos County: The College Station Police Department Animal Control is investigating twodog attacks. The first victim says she was visiting a store in the 1900 block of Texas Ave Saturday evening when she was bitten by a dog. The dog was described as being brown and fluffy, medium in size, and of unknown gender and breed. She was not able to describe the dog’s owner.

The second attack happened Monday afternoon. The victim said she was at the dog park on Rock Prairie Road with her two dogs. When one of them ran towards the pond, the victim said another dog, described as a red/white male pit bull wearing a red collar, charged at her dog and began attacking it. The victim grabbed the back legs of the pit bull to get it off her dog. The pit bull turned around and bit the woman’s right hand. Animal Control is asking for the public’s help in locating these dogs to allow for observation and rule out possible rabies exposure to the victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact College Station Police Department Animal Control at (979)764-3600.

Alberta 09/08/14 globalnews.ca: by The Canadian Press – Mounties say a hunter who had been missing in southern Alberta’s Kananaskis Country was found dead Monday after a fatal bear attack. RCMP would not confirm the identity of the hunter but it’s thought to be Rick Cross, a 54-year-old Calgary business man who was reported missing by his family after he did not return from a sheep hunting trip near PickleJarLakes on the weekend.RCMP said a ground and air search was begun for the hunter on Sunday.

“Evidence was located suggesting that the hunter had been injured at a location approximately four kilometres east from the PickleJar day use area parking lot on Highway 40,” RCMP said in a news release. “Search teams also encountered a female grizzly bear and cub in the immediate area.” The search resumed Monday morning, when teams found the man’s remains in the same area. “The hunter had suffered obvious trauma consistent with a bear attack and is believed to have died from those injuries,” said the release. “The hunter was alone at the time of the incident.” – For video and complete article see http://globalnews.ca/news/1552033/bear-kills-missing-hunter-in-kananaskis-country/

Mountain Lion:

California 09/10/14 torontosun.com: Game wardens and hounds combed steep, wooded canyons and ravines for a third day near California’s Silicon Valley on Tuesday, searching for a mountain lion that injured a 6-year-old boy, but the cat has so far evaded trackers, wildlife officials said. The boy was hiking a trail with family and friends on Sunday in a densely wooded preserve adjacent to a winery, just west of the town of Cupertino, when the mountain lion pounced on him and tried to drag the child away, his parents told officials. The boy’s father and another man in the group rushed the cat shouting at the animal, and the cougar retreated into the woods. The boy was left with bite wounds and scratches to his upper body, head and neck, and was hospitalized following the attack. Kirsten Macintyre, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the boy has since been released and was home with his family, who officials have not publicly identified. A team of sheriff’s deputies, game wardens and a tracker with dogs immediately mounted a search for the lion, which resumed after daybreak on Monday and was extended into Tuesday with the addition of a second tracking crew, Macintyre said. She said motion-sensitive cameras also were being been set up in the vicinity, along with several live cage traps. On Tuesday, DNA from cougar saliva samples taken from the victim’s clothing showed the mountain lion was a male. From witness accounts and the size of paw prints left behind, the cat is believed to be a young adult, about three-quarters full grown, or roughly 90 pounds in weight, Macintyre said. If the animal is captured and its DNA matches the saliva samples, the lion will be killed in the interest of public safety, officials said. – For complete article see http://www.torontosun.com/2014/09/10/california-officials-hunt-for-cougar-that-attacked-boy

Colorado 09/05/14 San Juan Basin Health Dept: MediaRelease – Officials have confirmed a human case of septicemic plague in a La Plata County resident. An investigation is underway to determine the source of exposure. The patient is currently receiving treatment. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague; septicemic plague is seen less often. Symptoms typically include fever, chills, extreme weakness, abdominal pain, shock, and possibly bleeding into the skin and other organs. You can get septicemic plague from handling an infected animal or from bites of infected fleas. This is the second case of plague in La Plata County this year. Since 1957, Colorado has identified 65 cases of human plague, nine (14%) of which were fatal. – See http://sjbhd.org/public-health-news/

Lyme Disease:

Illinois 09/08/14 peoriapublicradio.org: by Hannah Meisel – Reported cases of Lymedisease are on the rise in Illinois. Instances of the illness have gone up about 250 percent in the last ten years. Melaney Arnold, with the Illinois Department of Public Health, says Lyme disease’s carrier — the deer tick — has a carrier of its own. “Very much like the name mentions, they typically ride on deer. So as deer migrate south, we do see some of that southern migration of the ticks.” – See http://peoriapublicradio.org/post/cases-lyme-disease-illinois

Wolf OR-7:

Remote camera photo of a wolf using the same area as the wolf known as OR-7. This is the first evidence that OR-7 has found another wolf in the Oregon Cascades. Photo courtesy of USFWS.

Oregon 09/05/14 oregonlive.com: by Lynne Terry – Oregon’s erstwhile wandering wolfOR-7 truly met one of his own when he mated with a small black female earlier this year: She, too, is a traveler and perhaps even from northeast Oregon as well. DNA tests on her scat indicate she came from northeast Oregon or even Idaho. She shares bloodlines with the Minam and Snake River packs, which include wolves from both those areas, said John Stephenson, wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. That means she traveled several hundred miles or more to the western Cascades where she mated with OR-7 earlier this year. “It’s fascinating that after dispersing such a great distance to an area where there are so few wolves that they were able to find one another,” Stephenson said.

Oregon’s erstwhile wandering wolf, OR-7, has at least three pups that were born in April. Photos by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

OR-7 was born into the Imnaha Pack in northeast Oregon, then traveled several thousand miles to California and back to Oregon looking for territory and a mate. The two produced offspring in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in April. Biologists gathered scat from the area in May and July and sent the samples to the University of Idaho for DNA testing. They also collected images of OR-7’s mate and three pups, all snapped by stationary, motion-detecting cameras in the wilderness. The results do not pin down the birthplace of the small, black female but indicate her heritage. – For photos and complete article see http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/09/oregon_wolf_or-7_pups_are_his.html

NewHampshire 09/10/14 NH Dept of Health: Media Release – Officials have confirmed the second human case of EEE this season in an adult from Hopkinton. The first human case of EEE in New Hampshire this season was confirmed on August 22nd in Conway, NH. – See http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/media/pr/2014/09-sept/09102014eeecase.htm

West Nile Virus (WNV):

New York 09/08/14 NYC Health Dept: Media Release – Officials have confirmed the season’s first human cases of illness with WNV in five New York City residents, all over the age of 50. Two patients reside in Brooklyn, and one each from Queens, StatenIsland and Manhattan. Three of the patients were hospitalized and diagnosed with meningitis; all have been discharged. The other two cases did not require hospitalization. – For complete release see http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2014/pr031-14.shtml

Jerry Genesio

Author of "UNSEEN HAZARDS That Threaten Hunters, Campers, and Hikers: What you should know about pathogens commonly found in wildlife."

This is where wildlife and healthcare professionals, hunters, campers, hikers, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts will find interesting information about natural unseen hazards that place them at risk. As my book focused exclusively on Rabies, Tetanus (Lockjaw), Tularemia (Rabbit Fever), Brucellosis (Undulant Fever), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Borrelia (Lyme Disease), posts regarding these six diseases will be limited to more recent developments and items of interest that were not included or were not available when the book was published in June of 2009. Topics will also include Chronic Wasting Disease, West Nile Virus, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and other diseases of particular interest to those who work and play in the great American outdoors.

Don’t Be Afraid – Be Aware!

The Natural Unseen Hazards blog is available to all free of charge and is maintained as a public service.

If you have questions related to pathogens commonly found in wildlife, e.g. the disease caused by a specific pathogen, hosts, vectors, symptoms, treatment, territorial range, etc., please comment here or e-mail to jerrygenesio@gmail.com and I will attempt to provide answers.

"Chance favors the prepared mind."
Louis Pasteur

Unless otherwise noted, images have been provided by the CDC Public Health Image Library, Wikimedia Commons, the National Park Service or other government agencies, Bing.com, and/or Google.com.

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
Marie Curie

"It's better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret."
Jackie Joyner Kersee